Paula Boddington

A sudden insight as I read over some works on moral realism today. Some philosophers consider that ethics is based upon feelings and desires. On such a view, it’s easy to explain the link of ethical judgements with action – those judgements are expressing our preferences and aversions. But something is missing from such a view – we think our moral judgements have more solid basis than this in reasons and in reality. The moral realist considers that our moral judgements refer to facts about the world. But if we are just describing facts, the moral realist has the hard task of explaining how moral judgements can motivate us to act. The facts that the grass is green, or that the paint is peeling from the kitchen door, in themselves seem powerless to make us act in any way, without particular desires. So if morality is based upon facts, then why should the mere ‘fact’ that enslaving people is wrong, or that Berlusconi is an affront to democracy, lead us to act in any way? How does the moral realist explain moral motivation, that moral judgements are so closely connected to what we feel and do?

Then I suddenly saw something that had been staring me in the face for years, a growing realisation that greatly ameliorates this problem. It’s dawned on me more and more that although philosophers especially those working in applied ethics concentrate on trying to answer questions about what the right moral answer is to difficult dilemmas, a more pressing problem is that very often we know at least roughly what the right answer is, we just don’t do it. This is reinforced by seeing person after person who ‘should know better’ acting badly. Bankers and MPs are only the tip of the iceberg. There are many who make their living peddling ethics whose actions would not stand much scrutiny. Corruption and self-serving advancement seems to be the norm.

Then, the sudden thought – maybe the illusion is that our moral judgements are connected with action. Maybe it’s just a miracle that some people sometimes are, and a few people usually are, decent and humane. The world is chock full of yes-men and self-serving cads, because there is no simple or easy connection between moral beliefs and moral action. Problem of the mystery of moral motivation solved at a stroke. The lesser problem of those heroes and heroines who remain true and decent can now be tackled and may look like a rather different and perhaps more rewarding enterprise.

Neither Rupert nor James Murdoch is a ‘fit and proper person’ to run the media in this country.

• The Murdochs were either aware, or unaware, of illegal activities at the NOTW. Either of these alternatives is unacceptable; they should have been aware and are culpable if they were not. They are also culpable if they were.
• Even if they did not sanction such activities, the behaviour of individuals within an organisation is strongly influenced by role models and messages coming from the top of the organisation, and not just the bare bones of any rules and regulations. The messages set by top management in News Corporation have been both negligent and poisonous.
• They have shown weakness in leadership in failing to sack Rebekah Brooks.
• Arguably, the reason they has done this is to use her as a human shield to deflect criticism from the top. This shows manipulation and cowardice.
• They have shown contempt for the readership of the NOTW. Many people dislike this paper, but it is the largest selling paper in this country, and to shut it down at a stroke is to ignore the millions of British readers who have enjoyed it every week for 168 years.
• This also shows contempt for the fabric of the culture of the UK to shut down a tradition on a whim for calculating personal gain. Few people if any had expected or asked for this shutdown.
• They have also taken this action without thought for the livelihood of the thousands of small British businesses who depend on sales of the NOTW, some of which may have their business survival put in peril.
• Some of these newsagents will be the only shop in (usually poor) areas of the nation, again showing contempt for the fabric of British society.
• They have also shown contempt for the junior staff members at NOTW who were entirely innocent of the wrongdoings at the paper.

These points will be obvious to anyone who gives these matters any thought.